Combat
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A lot of missions end in a fight. While a lot of the time it can be avoided with skill and diplomacy, combat may be the only option.
Table of Contents
Combat Turns
Combat is performed between teams. Every teammate takes their actions at the same time in the turn and then the other team gets to act. After all the teams get to act, it becomes the Upkeep and any effect that occurs during upkeep gets to resolve before the beginning of the next round.
The Steps
Positions: With the Gamemaster, determine everyone’s starting positions.
Taking Initiative: The first team to act takes initiative and goes first. After all the teammates take their desired actions, the next team takes their turn.
Upkeep: After both teams have taken their actions, the upkeep effects trigger.
Begin the next round: After the Upkeep; repeat 2 and 3 until the combat ends.
Taking Initiative
If one side decides to act before the other side, they have taken initiative. This can be simple as circumstances prevent something from happening until a specific side acts, such as leaving cover to start an ambush. This also can be part of a standoff where both sides are ready but no one has actually started the fight.
However, the Gamemaster gets the final determination on who has taken initiative.
Surprise
If the Freelancers or their opponents managed to surprise the other, they have taken initiative and the other side is surprised. If an entity or threat is surprised, they gain a stun counter.
During upkeep
Many effects will note if they occur during the upkeep, there are a handful of common effects that does happen.
Remove Counters
Many counters that are gained are removed during the upkeep but in general a single counter is removed during this turn unless the counter itself says otherwise.
Recharge Rolls
Some effects recharge on a specific roll, this is rolled during the upkeep. When it is noted, roll a d10 and on the noted number of better, the effect is recharged or otherwise triggered.
Death Checks
Dying entities roll their Fortitude check to avoid death.
Actions in a Turn
On the team’s turn, each teammate may take a set of actions. They are listed in descending order. A teammate can take these actions during their turn but also can trade a higher action for a lower one. As such, a Base-action can be turned into an additional move-action or into a quick-action, but a move-action cannot be turned into an additional Base-action.
While the actions outlined here are the most common, in the end it is up to the Gamemaster to determine what kind of action an action the teammate is performing is, so this is by no means a definitive list of actions or the kind.
Long-action
A long-action takes the teammate’s entire turn to perform and thus cannot take a base, move, or quick-action until the start of their next turn.
This action cannot be traded for a lesser action.
Disengage
A teammate attempting to remove themselves from a fight is a long-action. Taking a disengage action allows the teammate to take twice their move, but it must be away from the fight. Taking this movement will not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Dodge
A teammate may choose to not act but spend their turn evading attacks. The teammate’s defense rolls against attacks they can see are favorable.
A teammate cannot take a dodge action if they are immobilized in some way such as being restrained or incapacitated.
Base-action
The base-action is the primary action that a teammate will make. This includes many common actions that they may make as well as most combat focused actions.
Attacking
Performing an attack or any other use of a combat skill is a base-action.
Help
A teammate can aid another teammate as a base-action.
Move-action
Move-actions are fairly self-explanatory. A teammate uses their move-action to move, but this also includes other basic movement based actions such as moving across a map and drawing a holstered weapon or opening a handheld container.
Hide
A teammate can use their move-action to make a stealth check and hide as long as they are not in immediate line-of-sight or otherwise being observed.
Search
When looking for something specific, a search action may be used allowing the teammate to roll an investigation check to attempt to find the item or target.
Quick-actions
A teammate is only given one quick-action in a turn and they are usually used for abilities. In general, there are no general actions that can be taken with a quick-action, however, many effects will state if they use a quick-action to function.
Quick-actions cannot be traded for a lesser action.
Ready an Action
A teammate can ready an action as a quick-action and use an unused base or move-action as a reaction.
This action has to be meaningfully specific, such as waiting for an opponent to move into a specific position to act or being ready to jump away from a pit when the trap door opens.
Reaction
A reaction is an action taken in response to a specific trigger. However, unless stated otherwise, a teammate only has one reaction to use per turn, so it must be used wisely.
Free-action
A free-action is an action that takes little to no time to perform and can be performed any time, such as talking or dropping an item in your hand.
Attacking
The basic foundation of combat encounters is the attack.
Target: Select a target that is in range of the attack.
Modifiers: Both the attacker and the defender adds modifiers to their respective checks as either a bonus to the attribute or to the die itself.
Check: The attacker and defender checks against their attack and defense to determine if they were successful.
Challenge: Assuming both have succeeded in their check, they now compare their rolls.
Resolution: After the challenge, the attack is resolved.
Attack versus Defense
When performing an attack, the attack will roll a combat skill (brawl, finesse, etcetera) check. The defender will roll a defense check.
Afterwards, if both pass the check, the attacker’s roll must be lower than the defender’s.
If the attacker fails their attack check, their attack misses. If the defender mails their defense check, the attacker just has to pass their check to hit.
Modifiers to the Attack
When an attacker rolls their attack; they choose the appropriate skill according to the type of weapon they are using, such as finesse for a dagger, and that is added to the appropriate Attribute for the check.
Attribute + Combat Skill + other modifiers = Attack Check
Modifiers to the Defense
When subject to an attack, the defender rolls a defense check. This is modified by the defender’s Agility Attribute and their size (see page 228).
Agility Attribute + Size Modifier + Other modifiers = Defense
Static Defense
Some defenders have a static defense, which means the defender is usually not mobile or otherwise incapable of evading attacks.
A defender has a static defense according to its size and does not roll for defense. The attacker must roll under the static defense value.
Attacks
The target being attacked must be within the range or reach of the weapon.
Range
Ranged weapons have a note on the range of the attack. Within nominal range, the attack is normal; however, after nominal range the attack is unfavorable until it reaches maximum range. If the target is outside this range, the target can still be attacked but at a +3 per 3 meters beyond the maximum range added to the roll itself.
Attacking In or Into Melee
Making a ranged attack while within melee reach of an opponent will create an attack of opportunity for that opponent.
Attacking a target that is engaged with an opponent that isn’t incapacitated is unfavorable.
Both can be ignored if the attack is taken as a long-action.
Reach
Melee weapons have a noted reach that it can attack a target. If the target is out of the weapon’s reach, then the target cannot be attacked.
Ontometric Manifestations
Ontometric manifestations and abilities have a range of effect. Normally this range is modified by the number of stress counters the wyrd has when they use the power. This is covered in a bit more detail on page 276.
Two-Weapon Fighting
When taking a long-action to just attack, the teammate may attack with weapons that are in both hands. Doing so unfavorable for the second attack.
Attacking a Target of Opportunity
When an entity performs an action that would require them to momentarily be distracted or drop their guard, they can become a target of opportunity.
Manifesting a Power: Manifesting an ontometric power requires a moment of mental focus. This will make them a target of opportunity.
Movement: An entity provokes an attack of opportunity if they move more than 1.5 meters while within range or reach of a weapon or attack option can make them a target of opportunity.
Shooting while Engaged: If an entity is within melee reach of an opponent and attempts to make a ranged attacked that isn’t against that opponent, they become a target of opportunity.
Using Non-Combat Skills: Using a non-combat skill can make them a target of opportunity.
The entity is a target of opportunity only for that moment. Any opponent the entity is in range of may make a single attack against them as a reaction with a non-ontometric attack.
Weapon Degradation
Whenever an attack with a weapon scores critical fumble, the weapon takes one point of damage to its integrity for each fumble rolled.
Cover
Cover grants a variety of bonus and penalties in combat. It depends on the degree of cover the defender has. The table below gives more detail.
Shape
Some effects have a shape designating the area that is affected by the effect.
Cone
A cone extends in a direction from the origin and out to the indicated range and spreads out to be as wide as it is long at the end.
Line
A line extends from the origin out to the indicated range and affects all targets in the path.
Radius
The radius extends from the origin out to the indicated range.
Touch
The target must be physically touched. The target is affected on a hit, even if the effect doesn’t penetrate their armor rating.